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Vikings 2022 offseason preview: Where does Minnesota stand at OL?

jordy mcelroy
·4 min read
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One of the biggest problem spots for the Minnesota Vikings last season was along the offensive front. Yes, I know blaming Kirk Cousins for everything is becoming football’s greatest pastime, but the Vikings quarterback didn’t have the luxury of a great offensive line to help him out.

Of course, bringing in true difference-makers is tough to do when the quarterback’s cap hit ($45 million) accounts for around 21.2 percent of the team’s entire salary cap, too—but I digress.

The Vikings need some of their players, particularly on the interior portion of the line, to start living up to their draft stock. It doesn’t matter how many explosive weapons the team has offensively if they can’t consistently win in the trenches.

So the offensive line will be a top priority for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell in their first season together.

Here’s where things stand right now:

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Vikings 2022 offseason preview: Where does Minnesota stand at TE?

Who’s on the roster?

It wasn’t all bad for the big guys up front last season.

Rookie left tackle Christian Darrisaw hit the ground running in an incredible start to his professional career. It isn’t always easy for quarterbacks to trust first-year players protecting their blindside, but Cousins knew he was in good hands from the start with the No. 23 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Pro Football Focus gave Darrisaw the team’s second-highest grade for an offensive lineman (71.8), while veteran right tackle Brian O’Neill topped things off with a 73.7 PFF grade and Pro Bowl invite. The Vikings also had to love what they saw from left guard Ezra Cleveland as well considering the rough rookie season he had in 2020.

The problem spots in Minnesota are center and right guard. Center Garrett Bradbury (60.2), the No. 18 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, has disappointed in his three years with the team. Some are even willing to take things further by stamping the word “bust” next to his name.

It’s for a good reason considering his inability to hold up next to Olisaemeka Udoh, who is also struggling. Both have created serious interior protection concerns in Minnesota.

I wouldn’t hold my breath on the Vikings picking up the fifth-year option on Bradbury’s contract, even though he did make one of the best plays of the season in 2021.

The big man turned the jets on the Packers.

At the very least, the Vikings should seek an upgrade for Udoh after he finished with a team-low 54.7 PFF grade.

Perhaps that upgrade will be rookie third-round draft pick Wyatt Davis, who had plenty of time to watch and learn from the sidelines last season. If there’s one player to keep an eye on when team activities start back, it’ll be the former Ohio State product.

Meanwhile, offensive tackle Blake Brandel is in for another tough year of getting on the field. Former coach Mike Zimmer utilized him as an extra blocking tight end in the Vikings’ Week 14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. So it could be another year of gadget usage for Brandel to truly make an impact along the offensive front.

Who’s slated to hit free agency?

After starting all 16 games in 2020, Dakota Dozier was forced to take a backseat with the arrival of Darrisaw. Catching COVID pneumonia didn’t help matters, either. The 30-year-old guard had to be hospitalized with serious symptoms last November.

Rashod Hill also deserves a lot of credit for stepping up to help fill in as needed for the Vikings at tackle. The veteran has served valiantly as predominantly the backup option, and it remains to be seen if he’ll be wearing purple again next season.

As for Mason Cole, he showed the versatility to take reps in place of both Bradbury and Udoh up front. The team might value that skill set enough to bring the 25-year-old offensive lineman back into the fold for another year.

Who might join the Vikings?

San Francisco 49ers guard Laken Tomlinson would be a significant upgrade for the Vikings. Granted, they’d have to consider kicking Cleveland to right guard and slotting Tomlinson in at left to make it work.

But a little musical chairs along the offensive front would go a long way in ensuring Cousins isn’t doing snow angels in the dirt.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman Ryan Jensen could be a huge addition at center for the Vikings, or they could take a more conservative route and consider going after a player like Baltimore Ravens center Bradley Bozeman.

But then again, there’s always the option of replacing Udoh and seeing if Bradbury can turn things around in the fourth-year of his contract.

2022 offseason position previews

Quarterback

Running back

Wide receiver

Tight end

Offensive line

Defensive line

Linebackers

Cornerbacks

Safeties

Special teams

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